Paddington Bear & Sherlock Holmes

“…  two men had come from Paddington …”

– The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb (ENGR)

On October 13, 1958, the children’s book A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum was published. This was the introduction of Paddington Bear, a very polite and anthropomorphised bear.

In 2014, a animated film Paddington was released. As part of the promotion for the film, a series of 50 statues of Paddington Bear were erected around London. Famous personalities were asked to create designs for the various statues, that would be auctioned off for charity at the end of the promotion. Benedict Cumberbatch, the star of the BBC television series Sherlock, was asked to participate and designed the above statue.

2018 marks the 60th anniversary of Paddington’s creation and the British Royal Mint created two designs featuring Paddington Bear on 50 pence coins. One design has Paddington in front of Buckingham Palace and the other has him in Paddington Station. The coins were struck in cupro-nickel, silver, colorized silver and gold. Specimens were struck in both uncirculated and proof conditions.

The colorized version of the silver coins.

Colorized silver, silver and gold versions of the “At the Station” design. The cupro-nickel coin would mimic the silver version in the center.

The common obverse design of all four metals.

Those interested in purchasing these coins may do so via the website of the British Royal Mint or on the websites of various online auctions.

It should also be noted that the Pobjoy Mint struck coins featuring Paddington Bear for Gibraltar in 1998 and for the Isle of Man in 2015.

For those interested in Sherlockian-themed teddy bears, Michael J. Quigley aka the 36th Garrideb, has a Facebook group called the Bruins of Baker Street.